Australia     [13]
(Independent in 1901 from United Kingdom)
ISO COUNTRY CODE: AU
LAND AREA: 7682300 sq. km
NUMBER OF ISLANDS BY SIZE (sq. km):

>17,000	>10,000	>1,000	>100	>10	>1	<1	Unknown	TOTAL
1	0	6	15	2	1	3	9	37

DEMOGRAPHY
  POPULATION: 18289000 (1996)
  DENSITY: 2 persons/sq. km    GROWTH RATE: 1%/year
  POP AGR/FISH/MINING: 10%
  URBAN POP: 85% (1994), versus 81% (1960), Annual Growth: 1.2%
  LIFE EXPECTANCY: 78.1 years,  ADULT LITERACY: 99.0%
  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.931

ECONOMY
  GNP: US$321.0 billion, Annual GNP Growth Rate 1980-1993: 2.7%,  Annual Growth Rate GNP/Capita: 1.6%
  GDP/Capita: $14245  GDP/Capita PPP: $19285
  GDP/Capita: 1960 $6989, 1970 $9651, 1980 $11453, 1990 $13235

ENVIRONMENT (see also individual islands)
  TOTAL FOREST AREA: 40908,000 ha, 5.4% of land area, 2.3 ha/capita
  ARABLE LAND: 6.0% of land area
NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES: 19.0,000 cu.m/cap/year

INSTITUTIONS
GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:

Conservation and Environment Assessment Division, Department of the     
Arts,                                                                   
  Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories, GPO Box 787,         
Canberra, ACT                                                           
  2601, Australia;                                                      
Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service;                         
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland,       
Australia;                                                              
responsibilities are divided between the above federal authorities and  
various                                                                 
  bodies at the state level.